Mark Allen won a match at Alexandra Palace for the first time since he lifted the trophy in 2018, coming from 3-1 down beat John Higgins 6-5 in the opening round of the MrQ Masters.
Fourth seed Allen won four frames in a row to lead 5-3, before being hauled back to 5-5. He had lost three matches 6-5 in the first round of this event since his 2018 triumph, but this time the Pistol came out on top thanks to a delightful break of 86 in the decider.
The 37-year-old Northern Irishman was Player of the Season in 2022/23 and picked up that momentum before Christmas, winning the Champion of Champions and the Shoot Out, so comes into 2024 with a winning mentality and determination to add to his silverware collection. Allen will face Mark Selby or Robert Milkins in the quarter-finals on Friday evening.
Higgins was making an incredible 30th consecutive appearance in this event – a record – and has lifted the trophy twice but has now lost in the first round on 15 occasions – also a record. It is hard to imagine the Masters without the Scottish legend in the field but he could face a battle to remain among the world’s top 16 as he currently sits 20th in the provisional end of season rankings.
After sharing the first two frames, Higgins compiled breaks of 83 and 80 to go 3-1 ahead. He led 43-0 in frame five when he missed a mid-range red to a top corner, and that proved a turning point as Allen battled back to take it for 3-2.
The key moment of frame six was Higgins’ miss on the final brown when he trailed 53-54, allowing his opponent to level the match. Again in the seventh Higgins had chances, but a missed long red when he led 45-21 handed Allen the table for a run of 58 to take the lead.
Growing in confidence, Allen compiled the highest break of the match, 123, to go 5-3 up. Higgins then regained the initiative and made 58 and 61 to recover to 5-5. But he had only one half-chance at a red in the decider, missing it from distance. Allen converted an excellent pot to centre and that set up his winning break.
Allen said: “I was edgy all day but then 5-5 was the calmest I felt. I didn’t do a lot wrong from 5-3, so I had to regroup mentally and wait for a chance. For most of the match we both missed balls and made mistakes. I went to the practice room at the interval just to get the feel of balls going into pockets. John then had chances in the next two frames, it was important to get back to 3-3.
“This was a big hurdle for me to get over, having lost all of my first round games since I won it. The positive I can take from today is how good I felt in the last frame.“
Higgins added: “From 3-1 up I didn’t capitalise on my chances. You don’t usually get that many chances against Mark. If you don’t commit to shots then it comes back to bite you. Every credit to Mark because he potted a great red to the middle in the last frame and showed his bottle.”
Mark Selby scored just his second MrQ Masters match win in five years, thrashing Robert Milkins 6-1 to make the quarter-finals at Alexandra Palace.
The Jester from Leicester is a three-time winner of the event, having lifted the famous Paul Hunter Trophy in 2008, 2010 and 2013. He was also runner-up in 2014, but the years which followed have seen Selby struggle in snooker’s biggest invitational tournament. He’s not been beyond the quarters in his last nine attempts.
If four-time World Champion Selby is to make the semi-finals this year, he will have to get past last season’s Player of the Year Mark Allen. Selby and Allen could hardly be closer matched in the head-to-heads, which stand at 8-8 with eight of those encounters coming down to deciding frames.
Defeat for Milkins means a disappointing return to the Masters stage. It was the first time he’d appeared at Alexandra Palace in nine years. He’s still seeking a first Masters match win, having lost against Ronnie O’Sullivan in 2014 and Neil Robertson in 2015.
Selby controlled the opener this evening, before firing in a superb 119 to take the second. It was soon 3-0 after the 22-time ranking event winner made a frame winning 53 in the third.
Both players spurned straightforward reds in the next. Selby swiped the air with frustration after a disturbance from backstage during his shot and Milkins dropped his cue to the floor after failing to step in. Eventually Selby stepped up with 63 to make it 4-0 at the mid-session.
When play resumed Milkins showed a glimpse of what he can do with a fine 88 to reduce his arrears. However, Selby forced himself over the line with breaks of 70 and 74 to wrap up a one-sided victory.
“He’s not been here for nine years, so it is tough to come back into that dragon’s den. He had a good chance in the first frame after I missed an easy black. If he wins the frame there he settles and it is a totally different game. Thankfully he missed, I settled first and managed to kick on from then. “
Mark Selby
Number Five Seed
Selby added: “Mark (Allen) is a class act. He’s very similar to myself. He doesn’t give you too much, his safety game is very good and he scores as well as anyone when he’s on it. I’m expecting a really tough match.
“When you’ve been doing it for so long, you still feel nervous at the start and the end, in between you block it all out. It is easier to do that more than people who haven’t been doing it for that long. Me and Mark have been batting for years and years.”
SELBY ON ROUTINE VICTORY
John Higgins has a rather poor record at the Masters. for a player of his caliber. In the past, he said that, unlike most other top layers, he didn’t like the conference centre. For him, it was too big, and the crowd too boisterous. Maybe he feels the same about Alexandra palace. Mark Allen beat himyesterday, but wasn’t really convincing either.
Mark Selby, on the other hand, played extremely well. It probably helped him that his opponent struggled so much. Mark was never really put under pressure.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 